Fortnite's New Map Was Leaked Weeks Ago, But The Internet Thought It Was Fake

Oops.

When Fortnite imploded and then rebirthed from the ashes this week with a new map, the world went crazy. But it turns out that same map leaked in September - and no one cared.

The fresh island introduced in Fortnite Chapter 2 was posted to the r/fortnitecompetitive Reddit by someone claiming to be friends with an Epic employee. According to Eurogamer, the post has since been deleted but contained location names, a Battle Bus route, and a clear picture of the map's layout.

Unfortunately the internet believed it to be a hoax, and the post was downvoted into obscurity. Suspicious Redditors branded it "fake news" - why would Fortnite nuke the iconic map it had used for ten seasons? The "leaked" map could easily have been yet another drawing from an overactive fan's imagination.

A similar "cried wolf" moment happened last year with Apex Legends. Months before launch, someone posted the map with in a thread titled "Alleged Minimap for Rumored Titanfall Battle Royale Game," but it only garnered 14 comments - many of which denounced it as fake. The Respawn community manager later joked, "it was a relief to see folks blow it off."

In the case of this Fortnite leak, things got complicated when trusted leaker, Hypex, posted the map to Twitter and said the image was likely real. As his half a million followers began spreading the news, the person behind the Reddit post came forward claiming they'd made it all up and doctored the map on Photoshop.

Here's the full trailer for Fortnite Chapter 2 in the video above.

Eurogamer contacted the anonymous Reddit poster to ask why they claimed it was fake when it turns out it was, clearly, real. They said Epic got in touch to say it had noticed they were the person behind the leak, and in the wake of that contact the poster decided to backtrack.